Find out what local companies are doing to facilitate sustainable living, including smart growth plans, clean technology, alternative energy, green investing and more.
With summer here, visitors and locals are expected to hit the water to engage in activities such as sailing, yachting, jet skiing or simply taking in the sights on a harbor cruise. While these water activities may be fun, questions -- especially recently -- have started to rise about how these gas-driven pastimes are affecting the water, air and aquatic life of the San Diego Bay.
Take note, traditional investors: Green investing has found a home in the U.S. financial community, making it easier to uphold eco-conscious values without sacrificing returns.
A new LEED rating system for Neighborhood Development (ND) was the focus of a recent presentation by Kevin Hydes, chair of the World Green Building Council, at the North County offices of Stantec Consulting Inc.
A recognized leader in sustainable building practices, Pardee Homes' LivingSmart concept combines features and options that are environmentally sensitive, energy conscious and healthier. Plus LivingSmart pairs these eco-friendly options with distinctive architecture and functional design in some of the best locations in San Diego County.
Santee has long been a purveyor of open spaces. The city boasts seven public parks totaling 116-acres plus the 190-acre Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve, and sits adjacent to San Diego's 5,700-acre Mission Trails Regional Park, of which 191 acres are located in Santee.
When La Maestra Community Health Centers purchased land from Price Charities to set up a health center in City Heights, Alexei Ochola, a board member of La Maestra Community Health Centers, said the organization's board wanted to make sure they had a healthy building for their patients.
With renewable resources gaining more popularity in the region, San Diego-based Envision Solar introduced a breakthrough solar integrated building system named LifePort in February.
There's a green lining to the real-estate cloud: Developers are dropping plans to build on some choice pieces of land and instead are selling it for such uses as public parks and nature preserves.
A growing number of cities and counties grappling with water shortages are turning to a solution that may be tough for some homeowners to stomach: purifying wastewater so that residents can drink it.
Spurred by the belief that the market for fuel-efficient vehicles is about to take off, a slew of tiny car companies is springing up in Europe and the U.S. They are racing to produce the next "green" car, betting that soaring demand will allow them to survive alongside the giants of Detroit, Stuttgart and Tokyo.
In every industry there's a push to be ecologically aware. Many deploy under-the-cover green techniques, such as using recycled raw materials. But some home furnishings designers are displaying their eco-awareness on the surface.
The LaFontaine Automotive Group has spent about $15 million in the last two years building a sprawling, multibrand auto dealership in Highland, Mich., investing $2 million in "green" initiatives.
NiteLites of San Diego, a provider of low-voltage outdoor landscape lighting for both residential and commercial customers, has embraced the International Dark Sky Association's (IDA) call for dark-sky friendly products and has introduced its selection of dark-sky compliant fixtures, according to Bill Garland, owner of NitesLites of San Diego.
A leading energy management firm recently announced two programs designed to curb energy usage and expenses at properties with commercial pools and spas.
The latest concern among community groups and municipalities is carbon footprint. La Jolla Commons, the 13-story, 300,000-square-foot office tower, is doing its part to minimize negative environmental externalities. Prior to the project ground-breaking event in November 2006, it won pre-certification for the green features incorporated into its design.
The city of San Diego has been heavily invested in protecting water quality and preserving natural resources in San Diego. In grave need of protection are several local creeks and rivers, as well as both Mission Bay and San Diego Bay. Additionally, clean water regulations enacted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California State Water Resources Control Board require municipalities across the state to implement projects that address local water quality issues. In San Diego, more than two dozen water body segments, including Chollas Creek, Tecolote Creek and San Diego Bay are listed as impaired. The pollution threatening these water bodies includes bacteria, pesticides, metals, sediment and trash.
Since 1967, SB&O has been side-by-side with local general contractors and developers, helping build communities and key infrastructure throughout Southern California. Our commitment to providing an excellent service experience for our clients has been our key to success. This commitment has turned first-time clients into long-standing, repeat clients.
A few years back, as the nation grew more aware of the effects of caffeine, the 7-Up Co. quickly amended its labels and ad copy to include the phrase "Caffeine Free!" The company rode the crest of the movement, proclaiming an attribute it had always had as something new. It wasn't dishonest or deceptive, but it illustrates how entities are capable of continuing their established practices while still appearing to have adjusted to a trend.
A new Mammoth Equities LLC multitenant office building is now ready for occupancy at the intersection of Palomar Airport Road and Melrose Drive in the northern San Diego community of Carlsbad.
I know you've heard about the three Rs. No, I don't mean reading, writing and arithmetic; I'm talking about Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. At Allied Waste Services, blue (like our trucks) is the new green, and our three Rs approach to protecting today's environment for a better tomorrow is good for the economy and good for the environment.
Officials at the law firm Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps LLP don't think the "green" movement is a fad.
A San Diego company says it is turning algae into oil, creating a clean fuel that can be used in unmodified cars and trucks.
In San Diego County and all along the West Coast, private developers and public agencies -- from city and county municipalities to state universities and all branches of the military -- are forming green partnerships to design and build large-scale sustainable projects.
The environmental movement and the business world have historically been adversaries, accusing each other of distorting facts and taking unrealistic stances. But, at a recent conference at the University of California, San Diego, scientists and investors alike said there's been a sea change in their relationship.
Change is in the air, according to the Cleantech Investing Briefing on Thursday at the Marriott San Diego Del Mar, hosted by Morrison & Foerster.
ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. -- Determined to cut his electricity bill, Darrell Brubaker took the usual steps of raising his air conditioner's thermostat and cooking more on the grill.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Your city tells you to save water on your landscape, so you put in plants that drink less water, add a sprinkler system and obey restrictions that say you can water only on odd or even days.
When the U.S. Green Building Council testified before Congress' Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming last month, USGBC reported that buildings account for 39 percent of carbon dioxide emissions in the United States.
In a case of practicing what it preaches, Guthrie & Sons Heating and Air Conditioning is going green.
There's a green lining to the real-estate cloud: Developers are dropping plans to build on some choice pieces of land and instead are selling it for such uses as public parks and nature preserves.
A growing number of cities and counties grappling with water shortages are turning to a solution that may be tough for some homeowners to stomach: purifying wastewater so that residents can drink it.
In every industry there's a push to be ecologically aware. Many deploy under-the-cover green techniques, such as using recycled raw materials. But some home furnishings designers are displaying their eco-awareness on the surface.
The LaFontaine Automotive Group has spent about $15 million in the last two years building a sprawling, multibrand auto dealership in Highland, Mich., investing $2 million in "green" initiatives.
ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. -- Determined to cut his electricity bill, Darrell Brubaker took the usual steps of raising his air conditioner's thermostat and cooking more on the grill.
Learn how San Diegan businesses and residents are incorporating sustainability into their everyday routines.
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